This week's word: Expression!

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This week’s word: Expression~

Greetings friends, instead of posting the word of the week last night, I was actually in material collection mode. Pictured above are the items I’ll be using in the next days, weeks and months. Here’s the scoop: I’m now into Art Journals!

In the past, I’ve loved scrapbooking. It was a wonderful outlet for my cre8tive vibes and then…in the time crunch, I’ve gotten away from it. I now have the space that I’ve always dreamed of but I seem to spend more time out of the craft room than I do in it! Kids, sports, home care, domestic requirements and education have taken their scoop of my creative time.

If you’ve been reading my posts, then you know one of my 2012 intentions was to take more time for me and this has resulted in s l o w i n g down long enough to allow cre8tive inspiration to find me, where it can, where it will. It arrived over the weekend, at a basketball game. A noise gym is an unlikely place, most would surmise, yet in the solace of a warm car, I began to dream and search…(thanks to a wifi and Kindle, I’m uber-mobile.. (not sure if that is actually a word). The idea is that I have a NEED for creative outlets and since I’m often gone from home, on the go, I realized that I need portable devices and creative outlets that can travel at a few moment’s notice (i.e. “Robyn, can you……insert Chad’s lovely surprise suggestions for how to spend my day!)

It don’t really know how to explain the process other than to say “art journals” found me and it didn’t take long for the idea to “stick”. I do not fancy myself as an artist nor can I draw, sketch or paint. However, I do love the idea of keeping a daily journal and making it a little prettier than just words on paper. I’ve been an avid journal writer for years and yet, something has been missing. I am known to keep stubs of movie tickets, baseball games and other bits and pieces. I have the best intentions of putting these in a scrapbook and yet, time is usually not a commodity that I have in excess, at least not right now. I love to loose myself in an afternoon “scrap fest” but right now that’s not an option. The idea of journal/scrapping as I go DOES resonate! Instead of a formal scrapbook page, I'll be plopping in pictures, notes, receipts, comments, quotes, bird feathers....(I LOVE picking up feathers) and adding them to random thoughts and pages. Seems like a great match for all that I am experiencing in my life right now. If I wait to have a "sit down in my studio" I'll likely have already forgotten the cool, daily treats that I am receiving. Scrapping on the go, writing and recording, 'tis a "poifect fit" for Miss Robyn's adventures this year! I'll then be able to use the inspiration if I want to go back and create "official pages".

I’ve gathered a few portable supplies and I’ll be packing these along to ball games, rodeos and road trips of all kinds. I love the idea of tuning and recording often. Now this may not trip your trigger in anyway and I completely respect that so…..this week I’m opening the floor to sharing what YOUR favorite form of cre8tive EXPRESSION is? What is it that you do daily that brings you peace, joy, inspiration, motivation, delight and back to your amazing soul? Is it writing a song? Dreaming of a vacation? Implementing a project? Taking great photos? What is a simple, inspiring practice that you’ve found you can do anywhere you go?

I’ll look forward to hearing all about it!

This week's word: Ailments :(

This week’s word of the week: Ailments:

In our fast paced world, listening can be hard to do, especially when the outside world is so very loud! I crave silence and solace. I often have to fight for it by eeking time out of my day to take a walk on the road or to sit on the hillside and watch the sun go down (I appreciate a gorgeous sunrise, but I prefer to sleep until the sun wakes me…still working on that goal!)

I know my inner voice is strong, when I let it be. It speaks to me softly so I will purposely listen. If it was as loud as everything else in my life, it probably knows I’d ignore it. My children know all too well, the louder they are and the more they fight, the more liable I am to walk away. If you want my attention, I’ll need respect, attention and softness.

So how am I with listening to myself? I do pretty well for the most part. I believe in intuition and I know how to tune in. Listening then is quite different than following through. Following through means I actually act on what I hear; and this week I didn’t do that well.

I started feeling “lung issues” on Wednesday. I could feel that tickle deep within my body and knew that “sleep” was needed. I’m famous (sadly) for pushing through my reserves and driving hard. Responsibilities galore pile up and I tend to ignore my body's basic needs in lieu of a clock and the false belief that there isn’t enough time……

So this “crud” had been creeping up on me for a while and I ignored it along with my body’s request for sleep and nourishment. Long story short, we left the basketball tournament last night at 8:30. I was in pretty rough shape with fever, chills, hacking cough, headache, body ache and feeling as worn out as could be. I’d done several rounds of reiki, quantum touch and even ho’oponopono. I could feel a shift and I knew I’d live, I just needed deep rest. After a warm bath (we don’t have a big enough water heater and two very sweaty boys needed the water pretty badly!) I collapsed into bed.

I slept on and off until 1 pm today. I haven’t done that in…well, longer than I can recall. I did not do anything today. I sat. I watched the wind blow against the grass. I looked at my messy house and I sat some more. My mind told me to get out of the chair and get to work, my body said, sit. And I listened. This totally goes against my will. I am usually doing something but not today.

This evening I find that my cough has subsided. I’m still on the tired side but I won’t require anything more than sleep. I’ve nourished myself with several rounds of blue violet and chickweed tea, hot bath with espsom salts and baking soda, essential oils, Vic’s vapor rub and soup. It’s not fun to be under the weather but something tells me had I listened before, I quite possibly could’ve alleviated this ailment. And then again, maybe this aliment was what I needed to remind me of the importance of listening, resting and taking care of my body. Either way, I got the message loud and clear! I'm off to enjoy one more round of herbal tea and then another deep, rest. Tomorrow I should be back on track.

What lessons have your “ailments” taught you?

This week's word: GOALS!

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Hi Friends! I hope this blog post finds you cozy, comfy and in a peace-filled state of mind. I’m preparing for a super busy week, one that is filled to the brim with “go”! I’m ready. I may not know EXACTLY what’s on the rise, though I’ll be prepared for it as much as possible. Looking down the barrel at the next five days, tomorrow is the only night that I don’t have some type of event or activity happening. Time management has become second nature and though the internal clock is always tickin’ I’m learning to find ways to enjoy myself as well.

This week’s word, (and I’d lourve your input!) is GOALS. I’ve been working through Marci Shimoff’s “Happy for No Reason” course as well as Paul Scheele’s Genius Code. I noticed that my goals/intentions are really “down to earth”. There was nothing earth shattering or impossible on my list. Just about everything I wrote down was “do-able”. Some goals will take time (that I currently don’t have an excessive amount of). Some goals will take money (quite a bit of it actually) but many of the goals that I hold are not that far out there. It’s not that I’m afraid to dream big, it IS that I know where I’m at right now, energetically, emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, financially……

I’d gladly welcome a large sum of money landing in my lap (I’m sure Id find some way to channel it!) and yet, I know that my goals are “rich” and entail much more consideration than, “can I afford this?” Instead I ask, “is this the best way to use my time, talents and resources?”

My major goal right now is getting my master’s degree. I had no idea that I would ever travel down this path. I love reading. I love libraries. I love technology. What I’ve learned: enjoy the journey. Unlike other classes and experiences, I’m not trying to power through the requirements. I’m doing something every day to inch toward this goal. I’m settling in, enjoying the journey and absorbing all I can. Instead of focusing on “getting done” I’m focusing on doing what I need to do AND then TOTALLY FEEDING MY SOUL throughout the day. I tend to put myself last and one of my goals for 2012 is changing this up and doing something that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE daily...not just when I feel I have time to do it.

This week, I’ll contine focusing on goals, what I want to do, where I want to go, what I want to experience and what I’m willing to invest. Please join me. You’re invited to share what you’d like to do from here on. What is your greatest hope? What do you focus on every day? What have you committed to and what have you learned from this? How are you caring for yourself while working toward this goal?


Feel free to post here or on Facebook! I look forward to hearing about your experiences with GOALS!

Inspiration Is...doing what you heart

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I found this great little reminder yesterday on a free printables web link. The author is Lori McDonough. I printed it to add color to this week. Based on my time, I may only get a couple of letters in today...and with my newly adopted version of any cre8tive time is quality time, "that'll do".

Inspiration for me comes when I least expect and usually always when I am most certainly NOT looking for it. In fact sometimes it arrives when my mind believes that "this really isn't a good time". In truth, we don't look for inspiration, it looks for us. If we are open, flowing, ready to absorb and relfect, then we see, feel, touch, taste, smell, hear and experience inspiration. And if it isn't the right time now, then there'll likely be another time in the future.


Even in our most busy alignment, we can purposely notice when inspiration has found us. Thanks to all the beautiful souls who have left me "inspiring" emails and notes today. I'm encouraging you to share these with others (and know that I'll also keep your privacy, if you've indicated this in the email!) I'm delighted this is offering an opportunity for reflection!

If you'd like to post your examples of Inspiration on your Facebook wall, you are welcome to tag me in it so that others who visit my wall can see!

I'm blessed to be connected to such awesome, cre8tive beings!

Robyn

ShareYour Inspiration!!!!

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Since the new calendar year begin in January, I’v shifted my focus from the outer world to my inner being. I went through a really rough patch at the end of December. While I’m not a “whiner and complainer” by nature, I couldn’t help but notice themes of victimhood, sadness, lost hope, direction and grief. I’ve learned through my Journey practice that all emotions are “welcome here”. I no longer exclude those heavy, less than desirable ones as they are just emotions and “they too pass”. I also took them as signs that I was off track and out of alignment with my truest self.

I was determined to get "my groove back" but since I didn't know where I even lost it, I felt the best plan was to take a month to observe and what I noticed was that I was taking less time for me, specifically less time to putter, to play, to honor my creative muse. This type of deep, inner reflection has been supported by the winter season. Naturally this is a time to go within, see “what’s here” and clarify our intentions. While I notice that I don't have a lot of time to spare, I also notice that having time to create, share, inspire and be inspired is as important to me as eating nutritious, healthy food, exercising, brushing my teeth, and even breathing fresh air. As silly as it may sound, by not doing something creative daily, I lost my sense of direction. I think this is easy to do in the busy lives many of us lead.

In the past I’ve put my creative vibrations on hold for when I had more time. I dare not begin working on a card or writing something if I didn’t have time to finish my project because I may not get back to it for a month and I can’t stand leaving things incomplete! So instead of taking a few minutes to “create” I by-passed my creative urgings and just kept on working. In doing so, I wasn’t happier or more efficient….I was crabby! (True confession here…I know it’s hard to believe ;)

I have a strong feeling there are many others in the same non-creative canoe. We all know the value of prioritizing, yet I can easily prioritize myself away from what my heart and spirit most thrives on. My creative musings aren’t works of art, they aren’t masterpieces. They aren’t always for meaningful! Instead they are simply results of what happens when I allow my spirit to open, flow and create. If they do happen to inspire others, why that would tickle me pink, purple, yellow, orange and green! (Like exercise, I don’t do it to “get skinny” I walk, bike, hike and golf for the sheer enjoyment of moving and being outside.)

So it came to me that it would incredibly fun and it would also keep me accountable to my desire of consciously making creative time in my life if I invited others to join me. I am blessed with amazingly creative friends! My heart’s desire is to come together as a virtual community with the soul intention of having a creative forum to share, inspire and be inspired!

I’ll be post a word of the week, probably on Sunday and I'm inviting you to share how the word relates to you, what it means and how you’ve incorporated it into your week! You can drawn, doodle, paint, sew, knit, scrapbook, photograph, write, record, sing, dance, cook and DO ANYTHING that comes to mind, anything CREATIVE that you’d like to share with others of like heart and spirit.

You can leave your “musings” right here on the blog or on my Facebook wall. You can email me at crea8tivecowgirl@gmail.com to share any stories as well! I’ll post a new word each Sunday.

How about if we start this week with…..INSPIRATION? That feels fitting doesn't it?

Hangin On By A Thread

Pryce came to me the other day in tears. Her favorite pheasant was about to die. He was literally “hanging by a thread”. Poor creature! I looked at the alligator tears on my daughter’s face and and smiling, I shared that I would do what I could to help her.
“Grab the scissors I told her.”
“No!” she shrieked.
“Trust me,” said I.
She nearly fainted when I snipped the braided rope away from the base of the neck and head of the stuffed dog toy. “I know it looks bad,” I told her “but in the end, your toy will be EVEN better.” She still didn’t trust me, that was easy to see, but what choice did she have? Her beloved dog toy and come to the end of its “rope” and was done dealing within its current state.
I took this as a lesson and shared that we often get to this place in our lives where we feel we are “hanging on by a thread”. Sometimes there’s little else that we can do, especially when we know the end (of the current phase) has been completed. We can lament the end, feel the sadness fully and then we have a choice: stay there in our misery or…..move on. If we choose the later, we’ll find that the end is also a new beginning. Things can look and feel different here and usually, they are better than before. I’m not saying we will be without sadness and scars, it’s just that we are gifted with the conscious choice of moving forward.
This is a challenging concept for a kid but I think she got it. I took her and the headless pheasant downstairs. Together, the three of us walked into the craft room where I pulled out my Grandma’s supply of thread and needles.
“You could pretend that you brought your pheasant to the Vet,” I said.
“No thanks,” she replied. “Do you know how to sew Mom?”
“Just watch Pryce.”
She did watch, she made sure that I was doing what appeared to be correct form from her 6 year old observation. Slowly and precisely the head of the pheasant was “tacked” on. She wanted reassurance that his head wouldn’t pop off, so I took a few extra stitches.
“Good as new,” I said. “Wait….. I think this version is EVEN BETTER.”
She took the new and improved pheasant in her arms and smiled up at me.
“Thanks Mom,” she said as she cradled her pheasant.

I thought I’d share this for anyone who feels like they’ve gotten to the “end of their rope” and are “hanging by a thread”. The advice I offer is to cut the thread and start over. The end is also a beginning. Sometimes we’re afraid to move forward because we don’t want to experience something worse. I think instead we may keep ourselves from experiencing something EVEN BETTER.

If we’ve done the best we can, with what we have, in the time we have, then that’s always enough. If your thread is frazzled and there’s nothing left to do but relax and let go……chances are there is something very new and improved already waiting for you.